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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ground — crushed
  3. can — a tin
  4. ground — a position
  5. can — to be able to
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. key — in music
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bound — certain
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com